Electric switch



Jung l, 1937. C. H. HILL 2,082,630

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 12, 1935 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor: Charles H. Hm, b N AJFMMLM orneg.

June 1, 1937. c. H. HM A 2,082,630

ELECTRIC SWITCH Fild July 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y Figi.

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Patented June l, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Charles H. Hill, Drexel Hill, Pa., assgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 12., 1935, Serial No. 31,010

7 claims. (ci. 20o- 89) My invention relates to improvements in electric switches and more particularly to circuit breakers of the so-called trip-free type. One object of my invention is to provide al compact circuit breaker which is particularly adapted for rupturing direct Acurrent circuits. Another object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and. readily operable trip-free circuit breaker mechanism. A further object of my in- 10 vention is to provide a comparatively simple arrangement for indicating the circuit controlling condition of a circuit breaker. objects of my invention will appear in more detail hereinafter.

l5 In network broadcasting involving niany stations, high quality sound reproduction and continuity of service are paramount. To furnish such service, the electrical equipment must be reliable and have definite characteristics. It has been the practice to use so-called grasshopper fuses for overload protection in the power-supply circuits of the speech equipment. These occupy a small space and have a spring contact which sounds an alarm when the fuse blows. The position of a small glass bead gives a visual indication of the condition of the fuse. Their disadvantages for speech equipment application are limitations in current and voltage ratings, the necessity for a switch in conjunction with a fuse to open the circuit manually, and the use of a screw driver to replace blown fuses. When used in branch circuits feeding from a common bus, it is necessary either to replace a fuse while the bus'is energized or to open the bus circuit.

Both of these-'are impracticable.

, In order to avoid these disadvantages, I have provided, in accordance with my invention, an enclosed, compact, and yet iiexibly applicable trip-free circuit breaker which has substantially instantaneous tripping characteristics in order quickly to interrupt the heavy currentsY resulting from a short-circuit on large capacity storage batteries without undue burning of contacts even with repeated openings. Also my circuit breaker has relatively lov;r and substantially constant contact resistance in order to avoid undesirable sound effects due to voltage fluctuations resulting from appreciable variations in contact resistance. Further, I provide means for visually indicating the circuitcontrolling condition of the circuit breaker and also auxiliary contact means.

which operates only when the circuit breaker tripped automatically.

My invention will be better. understood from V These and other connection with the accompanying, two sheets of drawings and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a. side elevation, with parts broken away, of a circuit 5 breaker, in the circuit closed position, embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1 with the cover removed; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the circuit breaker in the open circuit posi- 10 tion after tripping; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the circuit breaker in the open circuit posi- I tion but reset and ready for closing.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, a base 5, preferably of suitable insulating 15 material, carries two terminals 6 and I, a supporting bracket ti, a pair of fixed contacts 9, provided with arcing'tips I0 and arcing horns II, and an arc barrier I2 intermediate the contacts 9. Movably mounted on the bracket 8, as 20 on a pivot I3, isa circuit controlling member I4, which is arranged through its primary contacts I5 to bridge contacts 9, and is provided with arcing contacts I6. A trip coil Il is also mounted on the bracket 8. The circuit through 25 the breaker, beginning at the terminal 6, includes the trip coil lead I8, the trip coil I1, the trip coil lead I9, and, as viewed in Fig. 2, the right-hand contact Q, the right-hand primary contact I5, the circuit controlling member I4, the left-hand primary contact I5, the left-hand contact 9, and the terminal 1. 'Ihe primary contacts I5 are silver-plated and have sufficient spring to give the necessary contact pressure. They also have a wiping action to clean the 35 contact surfaces of foreign matter. The use of the two contacts 9 in series with the primary contacts I5 provides a double break and the arc is readily transferred from the arcing tips to the arcing horns II, where it is quickly dissi- 40 pated. It will be noted that the number of electrical joints through the circuit breaker is limitedand that such joints are either so made or so treated as to insure a denite and substantially a constant contact resistance. 45

For actuating the circuit controlling member I4 to and holding it in the circuit closed position, I provide means including a self-resetting, trip-free, collapsible mechanism shown as comprising links 20 and 2l and a rotatable and trans- 50 latable operating member 22. The toggle links 20 and 2| are interconnected as at the pivot 23 and the link 20 is connected to the circuit controlling member I4 as at the pivot 24. The toggle link 2| may be of a forked shape, as shown, 55

and is carried on a iloating pivot 25, which is Cil supported on an angularly movable element 26 connected to the bracket 8 as at the pivot 21. The element 26 includes means such as the yshelf 26 for holding the toggle 20, 2i in an overset position. The amount of the overset can be regulated by suitable means, such as an adjusting screw 28. Biasing means, such as springs 29, may be used in addition to the spring action of the contacts I5 to effect a more rapid collapsing of the toggle mechanism when the breaker is tripped. The angularly movable element 26 may comprise two armsbetween which a depending orv tail portion 30 of the link 2| is free to move for the desired manual trip as will hereinafter appear. The link 2i may further include a projecting arm 3l so shaped as to indicate through an opening 48 in the circuit breaker case or cover 32 the circuit controlling condition of the circuit breaker. The tip of this projecting arm 3l may be suitably colored so as to be more striking to the eye.

The operating member 22 is translatable from one position shown in Fig. l1 after a predeter mined angular movement in one direction to an other position shown in Fig. 4 to permit a resetting action of the toggle mechanism. The member is then translatable from the second position to the iirst position to movey thecircuit controlling member I4 to the circuit controlling position and rotatable in the opposite direction to Y maintain the switch closed. For this purpose,

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the operating member 22 includes an inwardly extending portion suitably journaled in the bracket 8 and provided with a key 33 which, upon rotation of the operating member,fcan be made to register with a keyway 34 in the bracket 8. The member 22 can be turned into the position shown in Fig. 1 with the key 33` against a suitable stop on the bracket 8 and so as to bear against the inner face of the bracket to hold the switch closed. In order to prevent the operating member 22 from being completely withdrawn from its journal in the bracket 8, it may be provided with a lock pin 35 as shown most clearly 1n Fig. 4. For tripping the circuit breaker manually, the operating handle may be provided with a tripping member 36 which is biased outwardly or to the right, as shown in Fig. 3 by suitable means suchk as a spring 31, but when pushed inwardly between the sides of the element 26 engages the dependingl or tail portion 30 of the toggie link 2i, whereby to turn this link clockwise and thus move the toggle over center to effect the collapse thereof- In order to obtain an indication in the form of aA suitable alarm, I may provide the circuit breaker with auxiliaryv contacts 39 for controlling the circuit of a bell or other suitable alarm in such a way that the alarm is given only when the breaker is tripped automatically by the trip coil. For this purpose, there may be provided an operating arm 40 which is under the bias of a spring 4l tending to move it counter clockwise about its pivotal support 42. The arm 4D may be locked against this bias by suitable means, such as a spring biased latch 43 which is under the control of the tripping plunger 44 of the trip magnet through suitable means, such as an arm 45, which bearsiagainst the collar 46 on the plunger 44 at its upper end. The tripping plunger 44 is so arranged4V that in' its upward movement it engages a depending or tail portion 41 on the toggle link 26 whereby it will effect the collapse of the toggle 20, 2l. The spring 56 which actuates the latch also serves as the calibrating spring for the trip coil l1.

Assuming the parts positioned as shown in Fig. "l and that thecurrent through the circuit breaker increases to such value as to raise the tripping plunger 44, the toggle mechanism 20, 2| will be collapsed to effect the opening of the circuit breaker and at the same time the latch 43 will be released to permit the counterclockwise movement of the auxiliary switch arm 4D wherebyto eect the closing of the -contacts 3S. The parts will then be positioned as shown in Fig. 3 with the indicating arm 3l of the toggle link 2| in such a, position in the opening 4B of the cover 32 as to show visually that the breaker is open.

drawn to the position shown in Fig. 4. W'hen this is done, the angularly movable element 26 which abuts the inner end of the operating member 22 is free to move counterclockwise into such a position that the toggle mechanism automati cally resets vitself under the bias due to the Weight of the parts which position themselves as shown in Fig. 4. To reclose the circuit breaker, the handle 22 is pushed inwardly and then turned about clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2. The circuit breaker may be tripped manually at any time by merely pushing inupon the tripping pin 36, whereupon all of the parts will assume the position shown in Fig. 3, with the exception of the auxiliary switch member, which tripped by the tripping member 36.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. An electric switch comprising a movable circuit controlling member and ymeans for actuating said member to and holding it in circuit closing position including a trip-free collapsible is not J mechanism connected to said member, and a rotatable and translatable operating member translatable from one position after a predetermined angular movement in one direction to -r closed position, and means for subsequently holding said handle after a predetermined angular movement in the opposite direction while in said position whereby to maintain the circuit controlling member in the circuit closing position.

2. An electric switch comprising a movable circuit controlling member and means for actuating said member to and holding it in circuit closing position including a trip-free collapsible mechanism connected to said member, a rotatable and translatable operating member translatable from one position after a predetermined angular movement in one direction to permit a resetting action of the collapsible mechanism and translatable back to said position to move said circuit controlling member to the closed position, means for subsequently holding said handle aiter a predetermined angular movement in the opposite direction while in said position whereby to maintain the circuit controlling member in the circuit closing position. and means mounted position after a predetermined angular movement in one direction to permit a resetting action of said toggle mechanism and translatable back to said position to move said circuit controllingy member to circuit closing position and then rotatable in the opposite direction to maintain said member in circuit controlling position as long as said toggle is set.

4. A circuit breaker 'comprising a movable circuit controlling member'and means for actuating said member to and holding it in circuit closing position including an overset trip-tree toggle mechanism having one toggle link pivotally connected to the circuit controlling member, an angularly movable element to which the other link of said toggle mechanism is connected, said element comprising means for holding said toggle in the overset position, a rotatable and translatable operating member translatable from y one position after a predetermined angular move-l ment in one direction to permit a resetting action of said toggle mechanism'and translatable back to said position to move said circuit controlling member to circuit closing position and then rotatable in the opposite direction to maintain said member in circuit controlling position as long as said toggle is set, and means for tripping said toggle mechanism mounted on said operating member and movable relatively thereto in one direction to engage said other toggle link and move it sufficiently to collapse said toggle.

5. A circuit breaker comprising a movable circuit controlling member and means for actu- 'y ating said member to and holding it in a circuit closing position including an overset tripfree toggle mechanism having one toggle link pivotally connected to the circuit controlling member, an angularly movable element to which the other link of said toggle mechanism is connected, said element comprising means for holding said toggle in the overset position, a rotatsaid controlling member.

able and translatable operating lmember translatable from one position after a predetermined angular movement in one direction to permit-a resetting action of said toggle mechanism and translatable back to said position to move said circuit controlling member to circuit closing position and then rotatable in the opposite direction to maintain said member in circuit controlling position as long as said toggle is set, a casing for said circuit breaker provided with an opening and means movable with one link of said toggle for indicating through said opening the position of said circuit controlling member.

6. A circuit breaker comprising a movable circuit controlling member, means for actuating said member to and holding it in circuit closing position including an overset trip-free `toggle mechanism having one end connected to said member, a rotatably mounted element to which the other end of said toggle mechanism is connected, said element including means for holding said toggle in the overset position and a rotatable and translatable operating member translatable from one position after a predetermined angular movement in one direction to permit a resetting action of said toggle mechanism and translatable back to said position to move said circuit controlling kmember to the closed position and then rotatable in the opposite direction to maintain said circuit controlling member in the circuit controlling position.

7. A circuit breaker comprising a movable circuit controlling member, means or actuating said memberto and holding it in circuit closing position including an overset trip-free toggle mechanism having one link connected to said member, a rotatably mounted element to which the other link of said toggle mechanism is connected, said element including means for holding said toggle in the overset position and a'. rotatable and translatable operating member translatable from one' position after a predetermined l angular movement in one direction to permit a resetting action of said toggle mechanism and a circuit controlling position, a casing for said circuit breaker provided with an opening and an arm on said other link-movable therewith for indicating through said opening the position of CHARLES H. HILL. 

